Svarik and the company I :)

[VisAnastasis]

" Nobody can know everything...  I like to exchange knowledge. " creature whispered but that lightly, as if that alone was enough to explain its tolerant kind attitude. It was not upset right now, too excited with the visit to be so, so it was easier for it to resist falling into despair and get violent with it right now, it seemed.

It led them to one secluded part of the Vault, which held one room, with ten locks tenfold entwined. Forest God bid Svarik to unlock everything, and then, they entered the room. It was filled with lot of locked chests, and Cernannos Anargul led them to one old secluded one with lot of clumsily carved leaves, as if made by child's hands.
He blew of the dust, and once king unlocked it, it revealed to be a harvest of some sort. No cloud, shade or rotting touched the fruits within the chest, and those fruits were, truth to be told, rather peculiar. They looked almost same as what king knew as pomegranates, yet, the skin was of soothing emerald color, and just like Cernannos's furr, skin of fruit was glowing soothingly in the dark.
Their container was very big, but there were only around ten or so fruit left in it, though - probably whenever they were needed, someone would take one or two, and now only this was what remained of what seemed rather personal to the Forest God, judging by the way he observed it.

[Mirach]

"I see it is a very precious gift," Svarik said quietly as he watched from some distance.

[VisAnastasis]

" Magic is overrated when you have little else, kind traveler. Many people would wish to have these with such deep desire... With which I look forward to some ink and parchment to capture my thoughts. " Forest God smiled softly at king, observing him with some gentle interest. Then he reached into the chest. " I told you I am pomegranate tree, did I not, kind little king? These are fruit of my own branches. I used to bloom every spring and autumn and grow many of them, but alas, I have not bloomed since my cities were destroyed and I was disfigured, so this is all that's left of them as I probably won't bloom again. Here, have a fruit for your tiny fox. And... He did not deserve it... But I do bid you a favor. Take one more fruit and gift it to that sly old cat Riversong. " creature smiled with some longing at distant memory, while handing two fruits to meadow king. His look grew more thoughtful then, though. " And this one is for you, little king. " he said fondly, and as if he felt it to be right decision, from remnant of fruits he softly picked out one nice fresh fruit, and offered it to Svarik. " This one is a gift, like parchment and ink you promised... For you, to eat alone or share with whom you like. "

[Mirach]

Svarik hesitated for a moment as he wasn't sure if he should accept something so obviously precious that Cernunnos didn't have much left of. But then he remembered Emil's advice to accept everything that the forest god offered them. He smiled shyly as he accepted the fruits.

[VisAnastasis]

It was somehow sad to watch gentle delight that colored ancient demon's face - it was hard to observe lack of companionship so deep, that he would be willing to give away part of himself to complete strangers in hope of making them happy. His loneliness in lot reminded on White's - but while White was physically incapable of being with others outside of dreams, Cernunnos's choose himself to live in solitude, so he would not bring harm to anyone. But just how excited he was to make little difference, and how his eyes glistened with it - it was both sad, and marvel to observe.
" I am pleased. Pleased very. " he stuttered shyly, before he turned to Erdel and Xia. " My fruits are my blessings, that I can give to anyone - but you are demons and strong, though, so my fruits would do little good to you. It is not proper, to leave you out with anything. I am a good host, yes I am, a very good host. Please, do give me a moment, I will find treats for you too.. " he said, and though with feeble moves of an old man, with excitement of a child, did ancient demon go around the little personal storage, going around chests to find them something nice to give.

[Mirach]

Svarik stored the three fruits carefully so that he would not damage them by chance. He then followed the demon together with Xia and Erdel.

[VisAnastasis]

So enthralled with new company after so long of having no offerings or visitors, creature seemed exceedingly generous.

It searched for a little while, until it found what it was looking for - for Erdel, he took out some kind of small but elegant dagger that with shape resembling a leaf, with beautiful intricate decorations.

" I can see you are a fighter, but human blades often brake under our great strength. This weapon is magical and will not brake under your hand, and when you attack, it will draw strength from your feelings, so you have better chances to fight and live another day, kind little youngling. May it serve you well, and may no blade of a Spirit linger upon your skin. " he told him kindly as he offered it to him, delighted as he watched vampire blush a little and thank him embarrassingly.

Then, Forest king spoke with Xia with the whistling language they shared, as if discussing with her what she'd like to be gifted. Soon after, from another chest king was told to unlock, he took out a bag filled with little cute wooden carved figurines - just a simple toys, though, most important, ones that had been made with lot of care and love that fox demon could draw reassurance from. Xia was very excited, and just like a child, she was grinning proudly at Svarik when she was handed pack of toys, boastingly showing them to him, her cute mouth opened in glee and wonder, indeed, revealing just how much of a kid she was when she was feeling safe to be herself.

[Mirach]

Svarik smiled with her joy and embraced her, glad to find out that despite the appearance she is more like a child than an animal, and likes toys, which he could give her as well. "Very pretty," he praised her.

[VisAnastasis]

Demon whistled to her to explain her what king said in their own special tongue, and as Xia understood meaning behind Svarik's gentle words, it seemed to have relieved her beyond measure. He form was wavering, as it seemed she was not sure which shape to take - but in the end, she decided to stay adorable little furry critter, and she jumped into Svarik's embrace, nestling with him and purring loudly, as if to tell him she loves him.

[Mirach]

Svarik took her into his arms and carried her in his embrace as they walked out of the vault.

[VisAnastasis]

It was lot excitement for Xia, who as she was carried held onto the pile of her new toys peacefully and contentedly, very pleased with the free ride too - child or not by demon counting, she sow Svarik as her equal, and she enjoyed that, since she was giving him free ride whole morning, he decided to just as freely give free ride to her now and return the favor.

It was much more than healthy excitement for one day for such a frail creature as Forest God was now, and as if it was too hard for him to watch Cernunnos's slow steps, Erdel was one who offered him assistance, and lightly supported him as they walked outside. God only did so once he made sure Svarik again locked down everything that he unlocked before, and only then, he was content. He seemed rather relieved, though, once they left the darkness of Vault, and once they again got back to the same little living room they were previously in, he appeared to welcome sitting down again quite a bit, probably used to not moving much for many years.

[Mirach]

Svarik sat down with Xia in his lap. "Should we finish the meal?" he asked, seeing it may please the demon and also do him some good.

[VisAnastasis]

" Yes, please, do eat, kind little king. " Old demon replied kindredly and benevolently. " Just give me a moment, I shall bring you some more nice fruit and take two or three for myself as well. " he said, and slowly stood up to reach for the cupboard again - king could indeed feel a strong drive as, if anything, old critter wished to keep its dignity and be remembered as good host in its guest's eyes.

[Mirach]

"Do take some more for yourself, please," Svarik said, taking the plate so he could share with Xia again.

[VisAnastasis]

Xia was glad to share with him, already quite used to it. Cernunnos took couple nice fruit, and he gave Xia ans Svarik two each, while he took three fruits for himself, and ate it as his dinner, nibbling on them in silence of the meal, appearing rather thoughtful while experiences of the meeting were slowly sinking in.

[Mirach]

Svarik shared the fruit and remaining meat with Xia, giving him time to gather his thoughts, as there was still about an hour until sunset.

[VisAnastasis]

Demon was silent until king finished his meal, and then, he gently picked up the empty plates and put them aside to deal with them later.
" I do not wish to be bad host to you. But I was thinking, and it is in my mind, the idea, that it would be sad to waste our time together on teaching you to read the old script. My son Emil knows it as good as I do, so he can teach it to you instead of me, when you leave before it grows dark. " he suggested, carefully observing faces of his guests, a little tensely, as if he feared he'd be accused of not delivering on his promise. " I'd rather exchange more questions with you, than waste time on something you can learn apart from me, kind young king, if that is alright with you... "

[Mirach]

"Yes, that would be better," Svarik smiled. "Now that I have a chance though, I would like to include Xia as well. She must be quite confused with all that's going on around her when she can't understand us... Is it alright if she asks as well?"

[VisAnastasis]

" We talked a little bit... Our tongue is not that easily... translatable to form of sentences and questions. But if she wishes to ask, I shan't forbid it to her, in name of Holly Tree, no. " Cernunnos promised gently. " What I say in your human tongue, I will try to pass down to her as well in ours, if that is alright, kind traveler. I'd just really enjoy to exchange more questions, for, to  be sincere, our time left today is short, and I still know very little of yourself. I'd like to gain a better understanding of you and your diverse little group while I still can and while you are still young. "

[Mirach]

"Ask yourself then," Svarik told him. "We don't need to keep count of the questions, and I can ask mine from Emil too. Only what he won't know, I can ask tomorrow. It's a pity the days are still so short in this time of the year..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Yes. It will be a while till days are long again... " demon shivered barely visibly, not looking forward to the damning closeness of night. He did look forward to learning more about his visitors, though. " If you do not wish us to count anymore, then, may it be. I desire to know more of you. You said you became new king of this land. I was a king is my time, but it was long ago and back then thee were many tiny kingdoms and many little kings, so you can imagine how curious it is to me to see a new one. It's been a while. If it is a polite question to ask, please, do tell me more of yourself, my little guest.... "

[Mirach]

"Well, that would be for a bit longer..." Svarik said thoughtfully. "Including the last few centuries of the history... I'll try to keep it short and you can ask for details where you would like them. So, after the little kingdoms, most of the Lowlands have been united in one kingdom, and the blood of a spirit, Morning Dewey, got into the kingly line. But then came invader tribes on horses, and took over the kingdom. The kings remained in exile, and the last of them, Sanir, got help from the Bull - a spirit who gave away his power so Sanir could defeat the invaders and Two-headed Raven. But Samir was a mortal, and the power of a spirit was too much for him, he could not control it. It stole his soul and passed on through blood. That was the beginning of the Empire, and worship of the Bull. The emperors took women after every battle they won, and their sons fought each other so that the last one who remained became the new emperor, and through bloodshed allowed the Bull's power, the Thief, to get a hold of him. My father was the last emperor, but my mother was of the line of the old kings. I managed to escape the fights without spilling any blood, and when the last emperor died in the mountains, we managed to return to the tradition of kings - with the help of my friends, both human and spirit, including my ancestress Morning Dew. It was much more complicated, of course... But that's the summary of it."

[VisAnastasis]

Demon nodded slowly, indeed, it answering general question, but being much more than he could take in all at once.
" There's always some ... complications, with those Spirits... " he murmured thoughtfully, trying to make sense of king's tale. " I did not know, this Bull. But he gave power to the human, and then let him fend for himself, just so, without even giving him proper guidance or checking out on him every now and then...? " he shook his head slowly. " It's no wonder something went wrong... Tell me, child, would it had not been easier if the Bull himself helped that king Sanir, instead of passing onto so much power upon shoulders of inexperienced human? It sounds like your Bull almost wished for something to go wrong. Sounds like evil could be easily preventable, should he just helped directly... That's what I would do, if I were him, little kind king. I would have helped and did what I could as myself, not just fill some random human with all my might and cross fingers... I see Spirits still act as strange as ever, no matter how much time passes... "

[Mirach]

"Yes, I guess it would be better that way..." Svarik nodded. "But I do not know what he thought at the moment and what his reasons were. I have never met him in person, and only know a little about him."

[VisAnastasis]

" He cared enough to give him power... Or Sanir gave him something valuable enough in exchange for it. None the less, Bull cared enough to provide him, but not to actually help him. It's always something, with those Spirits. They can never just do something straight. " Forest God sighed a little sadly. " Nobody should be chased away from their own land and forced into exile. I wished I could have been there to help. I would have done it without all the strange vagueness. Nice, straightforward help, I would have chosen rather that... But I digress. I do not know your Bull, and from all I know, he may not have really wanted to help at all in the first place, so just chose to give bit of his might as an easier way out, so he wouldn't bother or rish his own life personally. All is possible. I am just glad you at least came to live as result of all that ill. You are nice... "