Death and Tide

[VisAnastasis]

" I am scared... " the creature whispered thinly in fear, appearing disoriented and tense, as it must have been an unpleasant experience to suddenly not have such considerable part of its soul. He did not look away. He focused on Death too. He held onto his tunic tightly. " Did... Did really... nothing change... After you took human form? " he whispered quietly. " Do you still feel like before, when you were a snake? "

[Mirach]

"Do you have an animal form?" Death asked. "I'm not sure how much different it is for demons, but for us, the mind does not change with the form. Only the sensations of the body change."

[VisAnastasis]

" I used to have a tree form. It was my first. I lived and felt the world like a tree for many eons, before I matured to be more. Do I have other form? I... Do not know..." Creature gulped." The memories... Are so distant. It is painful to pass through the layers for me. So after I got injured... I just stopped. I... Remember faintly that there was more than this... But I was in this form for so long..." He whispered." I can not imagine being anything else anymore. I only barely remember how it felt to be a tree... A tree does not long for hug or caress or company. It longs only for warmth of the sun and richness of the soil. Tree does not know loneliness. It was easier being a tree... "

[Mirach]

"That sounds more like natural progress of forms than changing them," Death said. "I see why you would wonder if I feel the same. It more feels like changing clothes..."

[VisAnastasis]

" It feels like you changed a lot more... Yet not really. You lean above me, and you have no soothing scales, but hands... But they are a lot nicer than I imagined they would be. You... Are a lot nicer to me than I imagined you would be..." He gulped, before admitting." I refused an apple Erdel meant for me, to pass to you... But I did it for the world. I thought, if you ever found that I exist, you would send hunters after me... "

[Mirach]

"I appreciate the gift," Death said. "I did not use it yet... I want to make sure it makes the most difference it can. And maybe, if it turns out it's not necessary, I would return it to you."

[VisAnastasis]

" Maybe... if it is not necessary. But... It is not like it was not earned. You came here, but not out of malice. You helped me more than you know. It was a gift to save the world... But I wished I had known you before. That way, I would have given it to save you. " it seemed unexpected line of talk was quite distracting to him, as he did not notice how in their peripheral vision Tide's jaws stretched wide and how he was slowly swallowing his leg. Expressing his feelings was all on his mind right now, and he did so feverishly. " If your feelings are the same as the snake's... If you heed for me in any way... Please... Do not cut the limb off. " he pressed Death's hand anew, his words somehow teary. " You had apples, yet you asked Tide to erase you instead... Yes, it would be nice to feel more whole again... But not at that prize. " he gritted his teeth, adding with grief. " You risked your life to cleanse my home from darkness, and you spent whole night caring for me... You have earned it, for you. If... If you pick dying over eating an apple I've given you... You would... I would be... "

[Mirach]

"I wouldn't..." Death said. "I just wanted to make sure that if everything fails, I won't take the world with me."

[VisAnastasis]

" It is... a terrible thing to ask. I am glad Tide didn't want to do it anyway... If he did, I would not have let him... I wouldn't... " the creature whispered, its voice sounding a little slurred. Even if the soul part that was cut away was no longer part of him, there was still some lingering sense of belonging and bond, and now that demon has swallowed the leg whole, that piece was soothed by Tide's presence from within, and in turn, that seemed to make Cernunnos a little drowsy, unexpectedly so, it almost looked like human sleepiness. With Death's reassurance that he feels the same, he embraced him from one side, leaning against his chest more freely, although careful not to scratch him with his horns, the gesture coming spontaneously, as if with emotional relief that it did not come to worse things, enhanced by the pain relief that Death's presence brought him.

[Mirach]

"I don't understand why it's a bad thing and why are you so opposed to it. It's like being on a sinking ship and refusing to use the lifeboat. Yes, you do all you can to prevent the ship from sinking, but if you find out that it is not possible, why not use the boat? Not before you try to repair it but after, if it doesn't work? You said I was dying, so it seemed a real option..."

[VisAnastasis]

" You won't trick me to agree with you for pretty words. You are not a ship... You are a person. " Creature whispered, tightening it's embrace subconsciously. " This fortress is my home... It protected my life for countless years when all else failed. But it is a place still. I could deal with it's loss, even if it would hurt. But you are a person... " He leaned against him more closely, as if still with some lingering fear of his death." Enough people died today... Do not speak of such terrible thing. I am barely a person worth helping, yet you help me. There is barely enough soul left for me to maintain this thin feeble form and to even remain a person... If I should live you should too  A boat? That... That is so mean to compare oneself. You are a person and you are my... My guest. In all my failiures, at least I kept my guests safe. I wouldn't let Tide kill you. I wouldn't. I couldn't... " He sobbed.

[Mirach]

"Ship or person, what is the difference? I don't get it, it makes no sense," Death complained. "I'm not speaking about the decision whether to try saving it or not. I'm speaking about the point when you did everything that can be done and see it's beyond saving, if it comes to that. Only difference your decision makes is whether the ship sinks alone, or you drown with it. It's illogical to stay on it..."

[VisAnastasis]

Cernunnos struggled with his logic, not being that good with words to counter it. He could only do so with his feelings.
" But you can not tell whether the ship is beyond saving or not here. It is not possible. Before, you... You looked as if every moment or breath could be your last... But you are better now. It looked beyond saving, but it wasn't." He only whispered quietly, adding firmly." You did not die. As long as there is but a breath, there is a chance. I wouldn't let him... "

[Mirach]

"I looked like that, but there were still options to try. It turned out that one of them is enough. And we still have a fewvof them. I am speaking about a situation of running out of options," Death insisted. 

[VisAnastasis]

Creature did not understand Death's insisting, but he was persistent too, as if that was something beyond question something he deeply believed in.
" Nobody gets left behind." He whispered, drowsily but firmly, closing his eyes." Nobody left me behind when I needed sanctuary... I had comfort wherever I would go in exile, even if I had no home.It was among humans, but it was comfort all the same... I won't leave anyone behind either. There is always a chance. Even if there is no future line you can see, there is a chance you can't see. " He shook his head and repeated feverishly." Nobody gets left behind... "

[Mirach]

"Nobody gets left behind is nice, but what if you have to choose between leaving one behind and leaving everyone behind?" Death asked.

[VisAnastasis]

" We all... make choices. My people could have chosen to run and save themselves... They choose to stay and fight power far beyond their. It's never that simple... Everyone decides. They picked one over everyone... I picked everyone. In the end, their help barely saved one they loved, and I barely saved anyone I loved. " He whispered quietly, his face twisted with pain." Who am I, to put no value to their choice? They choose and nearly lost. I choose and nearly lost. You lose either way. I would have traded my life for theirs, but they wanted trade their life for mine... I will always choose everyone, even if I manage not save everyone. It is how I choose. And you..." He blinked the tears away." You almost choose one over everyone too... You choose to focus on helping me even if it would mean end of all world if you die in the process. If you can choose one, than I can too... If you leave one behind, then you are not saving everyone anyway. "

[Mirach]

Death sighed. "I just don't want to take the world with me if I die, that's all..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I... Understand. I don't want to take Emil with me if the hunter returns to finish me off. But you are reassuring me he won't and that I am safe... If I am safe so are you. You can stay longer, if you like. We have little, but we will share. And if anything, we have a good place, a calm place to rest. If other hunters come for you, I will fight to protect you again. " Creature promised fervently but solemnly. He clearly meant it." Stay until you regain strength... Or longer if you want to. Be a snake with me as long as you like. Plant flowers with Emil till your heart's content. You are welcome here... Both you and Tide. You don't have to bear that weight alone." His voice trembled." You don't have to make those choices."

[Mirach]

"Thank you, I really appreciate the offer," Death said. "And I will consider it after things calm down a bit. But now we are heading to the sea."

[VisAnastasis]

" Are you sure? " Creature whispered." This fortress... It has lot in defense. And within bounds of forest, I can defend you with help of my trees. " It's voice trembled." It seems safer to stay and rest... Less risky. And the road ahead seems so long and tiring... "

" Do not worry, little one..." Tide voiced himself for the first time. While they talked, he didn't disturb them, and he, working simply and without any dramatic flare to it, has already detached his own leg. He held it in one hand nonchalantly, as if there was nothing unusual about itand the other he laid gently on Cernunnos's shoulder as he added soothingly." He isn't alone... I will be with him, through thick and thin. We will get safely to see, and when we safe and Death gets better, we will come back to visit, okay? It will be alright... "

[Mirach]

"Right," Death said. "And now let's give you a new leg, so you can welcome us standing when we come."

[VisAnastasis]

That was a rather compelling and gentle way to put it and soothe the unrestful creature that had such trouble trusting others want to spend time with it, after a long time of feeling so lonely - and it teared up at the lovely image of being visited anew and being able to more properly welcome its guests. It did not know what to say, so it just nodded and sobbed - and it closed its eyes and embraced Death more tightly and trustfully, but not just for comfort this time, but as if in thanks.

[Mirach]

Death held him for a while, soothing him. Then, after Tide put the leg in place, he focused on the connection of limbs and felt it across all layers. He pointed Tide to a few places that he won't be able to heal and twill need stitches.

[VisAnastasis]

Demon nodded absently, seeming fully focused on the limb. He was holding the new piece with one, and Cernunnos's thigh with the other hand, but it seemed it was more gesture of grounding himself - more than materially, he gently supported the two by aligning creature's soul to the new part until they fit perfectly both anatomically and in essence.
Then, when Death explained to him where he should sew, he got to it. It seemed this was a big thing for him and he looked rather solemn, as he began gently singing a lullaby on their language. From his shoulder, some growth rose, and it appeared as if something was extracted from him - but it was not of the body, but the soul. While he sang soothingly, he was weaving a part of his soul into spiritual thread, that was so thick it manifested in the real world, like a bright golden thread, levitating around them and glowing soothingly in the dimmed room. He controlled it with his mind, and he brought it toward the leg - and it pierced through layers of skin, flesh and bone like it was nothing, not cutting it, but embedding itself into the soul deeply, the first stitch passing straight through to the deepest layers that were inaccessible to Death. It pierced it to the core, making that first step into binding old and the new together where it hurt and mattered the most, in the deepest part of fabric and soul... And then, it pierced it again, and again, making stitch after stitch.

Cernunnos trembled with the feeling of being handled so deeply and closely, as despite it did not hurt it felt rather intimate, but he didn't resist it, he just gritted his teeth and held onto Death. He listened to Tide's song and did not let go, trying to remain composed, but not able to help himself moaning vulnerably after each new suture, not knowing how to feel, as the process felt increasingly overwhelming, but establishing the connection that was not there at all before brought his strained essence relief.