Svarik and the company I :)

[Mirach]

Svarik waited for Willow to retreat to not overstep his boundaries, and then approached the bundle and unwrapped it to see what is inside.

[VisAnastasis]

There were three jars in it, and it seemed they were filled with some kind of... tea. It was peculiar and unlike any tea king had seen before, though - it had countless neatly cut herbs, but it also had some rainbow colored grinded minerals, and some glowing little bits that reminded on mushrooms around them. There was some fine scent of harmony and some mysterious soothing power woven into it. For some reason it had strong scent of cinnamon.
" The tea. " Willow whispered a little hoarsely, as he seemed to be not saying the words lightly. " For Death. "

[Mirach]

Svarik looked up seriously. "What should I tell him?" he asked.

[VisAnastasis]

"  I have a few conditions. One which includes not telling him of me. " demon voiced himself quietly, but firmly, as he had clearly thought this through as they walked on the way here. " My part of the bargain is giving you the tea. Yours is making sure he does not find out about it's origins, little human. Whatever you say is alright, as long as you tell him not I wished to do this for him and that I live. If he learns it's from a demon, he will deem it a poison, or wont't drink it out of pride, anyway. Tell him whatever is sure to convince him to drink it. It is important, for it will help. May he drink a cup once at morning, once at evening, and always you should add lot of honey - the tea may have some of my leftover scent, so I have high hope honey may conceal it with its sweetness. Don't tell him of me, and add lot of honey when making tea - those are my first two conditions. Third is - I'd like to know if your efforts to keep him uncorrupted succeeded. It is more demanding condition, I am aware of it - but I will count on your honor to respect it. In few months, few years, or decade, little one, as you see fit -come to me yourself, or send me a reliable messenger. Just yes or no answer at least - even that will be enough for me. "

[Mirach]

"That I can do," Svarik nodded. "But I will need to know more about the tea if I am to come up with a believable story about how I got it. Are there some things in it that can be only found in some particular place? Or just a certain group of persons that know the recipe?"

[VisAnastasis]

" The maker of this tea is me alone, though anyone that knows ingredients could make it, I deem. I am corrupted, and I am happy here... But that doesn't mean I am not rather passionate about being here *and* not being corrupted. " Willow admitted with little embarrassment. " I tried my best, and put all my immense knowledge and remaining power, and San's magic into searching for the cure... I still haven't found it, but this is closest I have reached so far. It helps me, who am corrupted already, a little at a time - and to him, it should help plenty. I added a few things, specially for him, too. It has many bits and bits that would normally be found only in specific parts of specific rare layers... But anyone that knows of it can come up with it. You can't say that it was me. You can say you come across some Spirit... Some knowledgeable Spirit of the earth would do - lot of Gaia's Spirit descendants are famous as herbalists. Say you came across a Spirit, and just told him Death was unwell, and he felt compelled to share some of his stocks. Something like that. Anything but to tell him you came across a demon, even less, that you came across.. me... "

[Mirach]

"In that case, is there such a spirit here, maybe? Death knows all spirits, being their king. I can't just make up such a meeting... I need to get to meet him in real even just for a while. Xia and Erdel could stay here while I do, I don't think it would be good if they went with me..."

[VisAnastasis]

Willow observed him intently, as if judging should he out an inhabitant of this place to him.
" Not many Spirits or Yokai are here that get along with me.... But there may be one Spirit who may fit what you seek. Mordecai has been here for a while, and may be willing to met us shorty. And you are right - seeing your Yokai friends may  harden his heart. He only ever tolerates me because he owes me for him to atempt my demise. Only you and I shall go. "

[Mirach]

"How about only me?" Svarik asked. "I only need to meet him and get to know him a little, nothing else."

[VisAnastasis]

" You can not convey desire to see him, if you do not even know how he looks like. " Willow bemused, chuckling a  little, such remark absurd to him seeming to brake a little bit of the serious mood. " However, I can show you the path, and go part of the way with you until we reach his habitat, before I return here to your friends and let you go on on your own, if you desire, little one. "

[Mirach]

"We could do that," Svarik agreed. "I won't be long," he assured Erdel and Xia. 

[VisAnastasis]

Xia wasn't comfortable with leaving him alone, and she was howling quietly for a little while, before he reassured her a little, and Erdel kept caressing her, to keep her calm.
With that, Willow and Svarik left toward the path created for them. They came to the world filled with forest, with fresh air, indicating they were probably on a mountain, as high hills with fresh snow could be seen in a distance. Willow walked with him for a moment, before he directed him to a narrow path, not going further, as Spirit must have lived close by.

[Mirach]

Svarik thanked him and then continued up on the path alone.

[VisAnastasis]

King followed the cold path, until he could hear a cry of a bird - a big vulture flew beside him from the sky. As Svarik followed its flight, he could see it landed upon the hand of a stranger - a mysterious young looking lad with white hair, and with big wings peeking out from underneath his clothes. He took of the mask that was covering his face and there was power in his presence, but he seemed to be in rather disinterested mood while a vulture, probably his familiar, was making noises, surely informing him about their new nearing guest.

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[Mirach]

Before leaving his friends, Svarik left with them all tokens of his connection with demons - Erdel's and Cernunnos' hair and tge old demon's nail as well. He stopped in a distance that didn't seem intruding, and bowed his head in greeting. "Good day," he said. "I am a traveler who just got to this place. May I talk to you for a little while?"

[VisAnastasis]

Spirit made a little wry face, tilting head at him carefully.
" You are pretty calm for someone who just got to this place, little human. " he replied little skeptically, and his voice was beautiful, but his words were filled with doubt, as he naturally found it strange that a human would be so chill about free falling through the huge hole and finding himself in this strange place. " But you may speak, if you agree to not come closer to me and my animal friend. " he set same condition as Willow, and judging by the clothes that were covering all of his body but face, that looked a little dry anyway, he probably had the same reason.

[Mirach]

"As you wish," Svarik nodded. "I'm not quite sure how long I've been here actually. Time seems to flow strangely here. It seems like a short time ago. I just desired to meet a spirit who resides here. You are a spirit, right?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I am a Spirit, and this is my Familiar... " Critter replied to the question, not revealing their names, just watching king carefully. " And you are at loss, here, I fear, little traveler. Once you fall here, you can not leave. Unless some flying Being comes to your aid, to be honest, your travel is going to end here. "

[Mirach]

"I indeed met one who is willing to carry me out, so I am not worried about that, and would like to explore a bit and meet interesting people here. Are you a wind spirit? I'm just guessing by your familiar, don't take offence if I am wrong, please..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I see you know a bit about Spirits, and can guess types somewhat well.. You are mostly right. I am 3/4 Spirit of the wind, a Vulture Spirit, bird of flight. " the Spirit explained carefully, not seeming to quite trust Svarik, but seemingly accept he won't get an honest reply. " But my grandmother of one side was a Dryad, a Spirit of Trees, and while I inherited looks of just my bird kin, I inherited gifts from both sides. There are not as many Spirits of same kind, so Spirits of mixed blood and type are quite common. And you, human? Do you mind to tell me what kind of a creature you are? Your body is a human body, but through your veins flows the old magic, and your eyes are the eyes of a Spirit. Have you received them as gift, or had you, perhaps, stolen them? " he narrowed his eyes at him, as the improvements Riversong made upon the king's eyes must have made them look like Spirit eyes indeed.

[Mirach]

"You can actually steal something like that?" Svarik wondered. "It was a favour from a spirit that I befriended. I didn't see any difference in a mirror, though. What do you see?"

[VisAnastasis]

" I? " Vulture narrowed his own eyes, looking keenly as he tried to reply truthfully. " I see an endless blue sea, different shades spilling in and out of one another like waves, little human. I see the dept of the ocean reflected in your pupils, and I see light that reflects in them as streaks of warm golden sunlight. I see the seaside, upon which sun dances, as if in endless summer... " for the first time, Being smiled a little as he finished the description, it seeming to make him a little less tense, and lower his defenses a bit. " You may be speaking the truth, after all... They wouldn't be shining so brightly, had they been takes over will. It is important thing to give away, but I have heard that it happened once or twice. "

[Mirach]

"Give away? What do you mean?" Svarik asked. "I did not see that he would be giving something away to give them to me..."

[VisAnastasis]

" When Spirit gives away his very eyes to another, I mean to say, he literally tears his own eyes out and places his eyeballs in place of person's old eyes. That's how it goes. You give away one of your most important means to explore and perceive the world, your sight, so the other one can see. Was that not how those eyes were given to you? " Spirit asked, and he made few steps closer, before his expression of skepticism unexpectedly shifted to expression of first disbelief, and then sudden delight, as he seemed to recognize some pattern, an artist's signature, in king's eyes. " Or was it Riversong? Of course! Hahahha, I should have known.... That silly old hag! Always messing around, trying to buy's people love by making them prettier, you can bet! " vulture Spirit chuckled so heartily he started coughing out a bit of hardened blood, and leaned to the king in a more friendly manner, seeming to watch him more fondly in light of this realization. " How is he, that rascal? Still fawning around Death, I presume? Dear, heavens, I have not seen both of them in ages... "

[Mirach]

"I would say it is quite complicated between the two of them right now," Svarik said, careful now to reveal more after his slip with Willow, especially since this spirit had wings.