Re: Svarik and the company II

[VisAnastasis]

Zephir was quiet for a moment. He glanced back at Falcon, as if unsure of something, but when Falcon nodded, he turned back anew to creature before him, and there was new resolve in his eyes, although it more seemed like he was trying to feel brave before him, than being actually brave.

" I apologize for keeping you so long... But it is truth we did not come all this way just to explain you that you're wrong about demon king. We came here because we wanted to seek your help. " bird tweeted, with more steady voice, as it decided to not hesitate, but ho straight to the point at last. " We want to help demons in sixth layer. They are angry and wrathful, but they're also very ill, and there's nothing to eat, nothing to help them there... This is something me, sir Falcon, and sir king Svarik would like to do. We would like to open the gate from our side of it, so that we can pass things through it, foods and medicine, and so that White's healing presence can pass though to them. We can't do that without you, though, as gate is literally tied to you now. "

[Mirach]

Svar withdrew with that. "Open the gate? Are you crazy? Do you want them to get here? Are you..." he looked at them suspiciously, "...are you under the influence of the Demon King?"

[VisAnastasis]

" We are not. " bird reply simply, not stuttering, but appearing a little hurt with accusation. " In truth, we did  not speak with him of this yet... We do not know if he'll approve or not. But this is something we want to do. King Svarik wants it most dearly. He deems best chances to end war is by being good to them, no matter how long it takes, and as for me, I just want to be good to them, as is. Watching suffering is painful to me. " he whispered. " It's not fully opening, that we want. Only opening from our side. I am expert on demonic runes and glyphs that hold great power. I'd know how to open it from our side, enough so we can through things there, but that still nothing can pass to our side. That's the plan. "

[Mirach]

"That's the plan? And what if it goes wrong? The gate would be open..."

[VisAnastasis]

" What if we do nothing? Nothing will change. " Zephir whispered. " The plan can't go wrong. That is, how safe it is, depends on two factors - on you and Simbel, I mean, on you, and person you know as White. He changes his name. None the less, fact stays... Only way they could force the gate open, is through Vein, which means, through overpowering both of you, not from inside, but from the outside, using someone like the thief. Without such ally on the outside, they can do nothing, and as long as at least one of you two, you or Simbel, is alright and healthy, gate will stand firm."

[Mirach]

"The Vein is a gate and I am a key to it," Svar said, looking close to panic. "Both me and Svarik in first layer are. We still have the blood of tge emperors, the blood of the Thief. They can't open the gate when the key is on our side... but if we open it, what will stop them? Your runes? How sure are you about them?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I am a Singer. Do you think a Singer with knowledge of runes is someone who would suggest this if he wasn't sure of his craft? " creature stuttered - not from insecurity, but, it seemed, that being with someone panicking was making him feel unpleasant and waking his own fight-or-flight response, despite he was trying to steady his voice and reply truthfully. " Do you know that at places where Gates are, big or small, in old days, wondering Demons and demon friends used to carve little stones with markings? We did those things for many reasons, but it's also a sort of reassurance, of a sort, that gate will remain open, if human needs to follow demon deeper and return. There are many of those, scattered throughout the land. But those are not *only* stone carvings my kin can make. I can make my own, special runic code, that can not be broken. I can make a rune ring from big stones in the yard of the fort, as main line of protection, that would protect you directly, especially, so you can be without fear.. " he whispered, glancing only at falcon, because he felt insecure, promising such expensive feats where he had no money of his own. " But, if decision falls on me, of course I'd not make only one single place, your reassurance. I'd charm and mark hundreds, thousands of little stones with my runes, that will be tied in protective melody with the Gate - and then I'll scatter and hide those stones across whole land, that is, if sir Falcon's okay. We can make so many little stones, and we can make pendants of them, throw them at highest mountains and bottoms of lakes, so many so, that collecting them all to undo your protection, would be a laughable task. We can make so many protection rings of stones that no Thief would possibly be able to dig them all out. Don't you think that'd be safe enough, for you to be willing to give us a try? "

[Mirach]

"If you really can do that," Svar said grimly, "then why didn't you do that before the Long Night? Are you saying that what we had to go through then was preventable with a few stones?"

[VisAnastasis]

Zephir winced at that acusation, that seemed hurting to him.
" It was different. Vein was unstable, and unpure then, and you were already tied by pain to it. Whether Gte would open or not depending only on power of your character at that time.  " he murmured, his eyes wondering somewhere aside, as it seemed he didn't know much of those events, but suspected it somewhat. " It was already too late by then, to do something like this, and such big thing is not something I'd be able to do so quickly... To make one first protective ring, maybe, but other stones? Thousand stones? It may take years, depending on how much time a day I can give to it, depending on how much time, um, king orders me for it. " he whispered, and despite pure explanation, there was also some hurt in his voice, defensive one. " I... Already did all I could during Long Night. I hate, gout out at night anywhere, it's chilling, and scary, and cold... But I went, for you. I sang whole night to this land, I cleared all I could, all until I got ill from it. I'm still a little ill from it. It's... " bird looked away from him. " It's... unkind from you... To think I didn't do all I could... You're not, like the other one... He understands. " bird stuttered, as if under great panic and pressure, under his gaze. " He knows I did... all I could had... he's.. kind  to me.... "

[Mirach]

"Maybe he got all the understanding bits of soul..." Svar murmured. "I don't understand anything... I don't understand how opening the gate now would be different from then. I just know that they are demons on the other side, just waiting for an opening to squeeze through it and tear everything apart." 

[VisAnastasis]

" It's different from before, because Vein is pure. It's like building house on stone... instead of on sand. Vein was full of anguish and darkness.... No protection ward would be p-powerful enough to set in. But now, it's clear and healed. We can b- build up its protection... over years..." bird was tweeting, stuttering still, but trying to explain properly. " A-and... You're right. There are demons on other side, eager to destroy everything.... But that was not always the case. They were a proud demon army, once. They fought from anger and pain - they fought because Death had killed their Demon King, and they wanted to avenge him. And now, they're stuck there, for so many eons. There's nothing there, no peace or relief, only scorching sand and hunger. " Zephir replied shakily. " Is it not obvious, why would we want to help them? It would be cruel, to want someone in such pain, ill, despite what they've done... it's like... when... when you had been stabbed, and you're screaming and trying to get the blade out of you, lashing out... it's  not... " he gulped. " rational, to lash out... but it's expected..."

[Mirach]

"And how do you think opening the gate would impove that?" Svar muttered. "Do you want to tease them with just bits of relief that would pass through it, and the thought of the layer just beyond the open gate?"

[VisAnastasis]

" Bits of relief is better than no relief. It's frustrating, but better. It gives one at least hope. While I was... kept... at Derhain fort... hope was the only thing I had. " bird replied to him quietly and tensely under his gaze. " We do not plan to tease, although it'll be a tease to some, admittedly. We wish to do something else... Simbel's, I mean, White's... White's presence promotes health, healing, clarity. It soothes the corruption and eases minds. It also promotes growth of life, though. With partial opening from gate, most important thing that will happen, is that White's essence could sip deeper, into fabric of that infertile layer... What we plan, however long it takes, is to change the nature of that layer. We want to bring life to it, a little at a time, so that it no longer is the hell that it is, and so that keeping them locked there is no longer unbearable punishment, that it is now... That is what sir King wants. He said only way to end the war is through kindness. Cruelty is something they had already tastes and what they expect... but this, they do not, and this, is what he wants to give. "

[Mirach]

"What if some of them try to pass through the gate?" Svar asked. "Will they touch the Vein? Will I feel it?"

[VisAnastasis]

" They'll just run into the same barrier that is there now. It'll be like running into brick wall. Things will be able to pass from our side to their, but not the other way around. I said that already. " bird said, but it was a little shy. It did not want, but had to admit. " However, along with White's, your essence will probably be sipping into both layers then, as you're a part of Vein and Gate and this system, as much as White is. Just like him... You'll most likely feel their presence as closer than it is now, when your magic, too, begins seeping through... "

[Mirach]

Svar shivered, looking afraid and undecided. He did not look at Zephir, but at the eagle, as if looking for some reassurance there. "Do you want me to do that?" he asked.

[VisAnastasis]

Eagle was looking at him quietly for a moment. Nothing could be seen from its face, and he couldn't talk in this form. It did not fly - it looked careful, as if hesitant to be open with him right now. Slowly, he instead stepped forth toward him, and he extended neck to his hand, and lightly, it howled, and nibbled on his finger.

[Mirach]

Svar leaned into the touch and caressed the eagle, like indulging in a guilty pleasure that he had not wanted to succumb to. "You don't get it..." he whispered. "You don't know why I want to distance myself. You don't understand, my Birdie... And you are the one who can, if nobody else. Don't you see I just want to die? That's what the Vein is... The souls of dead Beings pass through it to Death. There is no thought, just peace and music... Not a human death, but being without knowing about being... and maybe a return from it, once, when it doesn't feel so hard to be..."

[VisAnastasis]

Bird was listening to him quietly. It glanced at him in the end, with its big, gray eyes, as if weighting out and making a hard choice. Then, it seemed he did - as he nibbled on his hand a bit, he leaned his mind into creature's, lightly, hesitantly, as if probing if it's okay - if it's okay that they bound as Semai.

[Mirach]

Svar was a bit hesitant as well, but he accepted the touch and let ther minds connect.

[VisAnastasis]

It was hesitant on both sides, and slower than usual, but once they both ended up bound, there came a rush of clarity, a familiar signature of share intelligence Falcon would bring into the bond. Though, there was something different in it, than last time they bounded. It was hard to definite, and it was distant feeling, and vaguely unpleasant... It was hard to describe it, but it felt a little like melancholy before living, but also spite of someone decided to live -  it was a crushing heavy weight of immortality, on prior mortal that was weak beneath it, but determined to carry it with all he could, no matter how exhausting it felt every day to think and plan of eternity.

[Mirach]

The mind that he connected with though, felt like the other end of the eternity - too tired by being to go on, and longing for the state of peace and no thought - not death though, as it was still keeping a little hope that it may get better with enough time spent like that, like Beings that are reborn after being healed by Death.

[VisAnastasis]

Conrad's thoughts were surprisingly silent for a while, as if it observed the mind  open before him, wonderingly, without making any pretense of false happiness. He was not unhappy - but knowledge that he'll outlive so many people he came to love was a weight, terrible, ever in the back of his mind.
" It's not easy, to live..." Thought finally came in the end." But just because it's not easy, doesn't mean we should keep to ourselves and ignore everything life has to offer. Life is a duty to me, but I will keep that duty. I don't understand, why is living unbearable to you? I know what I dread -  loss of my loved ones... But what makes it so dreadful for you?"

[Mirach]

"Being," Svar replied simply. "Being, thinking and remembering." It seemed that where his and Svarik's paths differed, Svarik was able to deal with the pain and hurts of his torn soul with the help of others, but Svar's way of dealing with it was remaining in the Vein, in a way similar to the state of Beings between their death and rebirth.

[VisAnastasis]

Falcon's thoughts were bottle up, but even so, there seemed to be a little flicker of anger, suppressed, but present, an unpleasant cold breeze, that unexpectedly pushed through - a thought, that was so persistent, it could not be concealed in such  intimate bond any more. It was a mental image, a memory, sharp and painful, memory Svar had never seen before, that was Falcon's own.... It was memory of Conrad, telling White, after creature had been so worried for Svarik's second half, and called out to it and tried to get in contact with it for days after.... that Svar said he was happy being in the Vein, with all music, and that it didn't feel need to contact White, or any other of his friends. That he didn't need their company, just wanted to keep to himself in the Vein.
Didn't he at least send some message, White asked. No, Falcon replied at the time. And that seemed to brake the heart of old creature, and hurt it terribly, as it felt rejected and betrayed so, by first person in this time, that had been kind to it and accepted it.
By flashes of hesitance and insecury in other memories of White and sir Falcon since then, it seemed creature was dealing with that hurt and rejection since, and so did Falcon... for he kept being kind to it, but on the inside, now, when allowed to look, Svar could finally understand more clearly - Falcon had been absolutely, utterly angry over that act, and despite not in one second, did his resolve to take care of critter in the Vein flutter, he was truly and honestly disappointed with him, holding a quiet grudge ever since.