Svarik and the company I :)

[Mirach]

Svarik's face was peaceful in sleep, despite some lingering traces of pain. He slept for a long time, and it was already around noon when he wake.

[VisAnastasis]

When he woke up, he could see Erdel wasn't there right now... Someone else was. It was Melody. She was in a form of a child, and she was sitting in a soft armchair beside a big window, basking in light, shining under it like a little bright sun. Sage was there with her, and  they seemed both peaceful, at ease with one another, and they spoke with sign language not to wake Svarik up.
 Xia didn't move an inch during the night, and king could feel her soft fur and her tail wrapped around him protectively, but she was observing their usage of sign language curiously from the bed, trying to figure out what they were saying, and she seemed generally content, as, while understanding little she was always proud when she would pick up one word or two from the dialogue.

[Mirach]

Svarik smiled when he saw her. "You came..." he whispered.

[VisAnastasis]

" Of course I did! " girl beamed when she sow him awake, and she stood up to greet him imediatelly, bright with joy and priviledged of being called in side to him. " My beloved, I traveled faster than the speed of very sound just to reach you before your wake. I would never ignore your call, my silly Little Sunshine... "

[Mirach]

"I hope you were not too worried..." Svarik said gently. "It may not look so, but I'm better than I have been for a long time. I finally played my song, but I didn't finish it yet..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Don't worry, dear, Birdie's kind friend Sage has explained me as much as he knew... " bright little girl told him gently as she reached the bed, not touching him yet, not to make him uncomfortable, but delighted to see him, as she herself must had felt positive change within him, big, however small it may have looked at first glance. " Besides, I felt Erdel was not frightened or in panic as he let go of the hair, so I figured things may not be as bad. I told Birdie where I had to go and bid goodbye to him, and came as soon as I could, my dearest. "

[Mirach]

"Thank you," Svarik whispered. "I played the part of the song that I had to play alone... would you finish it for me, please?"

[VisAnastasis]

" If you are sure, dear. " young critter grew a little more serious with that suggestion, her bright blue eyes gazing into Svarik's soul softly, but with attention gazing at its tiny strained torn details. " So I need to ask still... Are you sure you want it, my Sun? " she whispered, a little shadow of care passing across her delicate brow. " The hurt that cut you in two runs straight through you, beloved... I don't want to make you unwell. I can not touch you that deeply, if you're not certain... " she paused, and hesitantly, she reached for Svarik, and with her fingertips, caressed his cheek. " ... That you'll be able to entrust yourself to me. I am sorry that I am... hesitant... " beautiful child blushed a little shyly. " It's just such tender, intimate part of your soul... I... never thought you'd ask me, or anyone else...  "

[Mirach]

"I know..." Svarik whispered. "I hid it too deep before everyone, even myself...  But now it's free, and it both fears touch and longs for it."

[VisAnastasis]

" And I both fear and long to play for you... " kind critter smiled a little with that. " If you desire it so, then... We will try, my dear. You'll just have to make sure you tell me to stop if it's too much... And I do have my condition, of course... " she grinned a little. " We're not doing anything before you have yourself a big, nice breakfast-lunch, my silly little prince, deal? "

[Mirach]

"And a bath," Svarik added. "And a short walk by the sea, maybe... I did nit want to do it right away."

[VisAnastasis]

" My friends of the sea had returned the basket they borrowed from you and left you a little gift with it. " Sage beamed at that delay, seeming pleased, both to get chance to step in conversation, and that Svarik chose not to jump into it without considering proper timing better. " I'd be very pleased to see if you'll like it, as they asked me to share your reaction with them. If you're in the mood, would you like to take bath now and then come with me to my garden, so we can eat there and I can show you your gifts of the sea? It would please me very much, and my Spirit friend said he desired to meet you over a meal, if you'd be willing to do so. Will you consider that offer, if you're in the mood for such pleasantry? "

[Mirach]

"Yes, if Melody joins us," Svarik replied. "If I listen to the music of her being for some time, it might be then easier to listen to her song."

[VisAnastasis]

" I noticed there are Beings living here right away, my Sun. And not only Spirits. " Melody explained quietly, and a little sadly. " Sage explained to me why, but... Damage may already be done. Death is our guest, Svarik, and if he makes a choice to learn of it, he can see so much just by a mere glance at others. Even if he just senses your desire to sometimes go back to visit them again, it may be enough for him to figure out where those people are, by watching into your future. I do not want to tell him anything of my free will, but he is.. was our King, and he knows how to be intimidating and his gaze is deep. I don't know future. I don't know borders of his powers, and how much he could learn of those people, if he focused his attention on discovering it... I think both you and me, Erdel and Xia compromise them enough just by knowing they exist in this city. Birdie compromises them already just by knowing of them too, and I fear his closeness to Death in that mansion, now that Birdie is immortal and long future spreading before him and  possible interactions he will have with supernatural world are potentially endless.... Birdie avoids him for very wise reasons. " she smiled sadly. " With Birdie being such a threat, with all his knowledge, to begin with, it won't make much difference anymore, whether I meet his friends or not, I deem, so I think I would like that... It's been a long while since I had time to be together with you and do things with you."

[Mirach]

"We also fear speaking to Death for knowing things that he should not find out, even more of them than about the Beings here," Svarik sighed. "Erdel and me agreed to not talk to him if possible, only through a third person who does not know... We hope that once Death takes the form of a child again, the danger will lessen. Maybe Nammy teaches him even some tolerance towards those he hated before..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I hope that as well. But until then, we will all be very wary. " Sage nodded. " Your kind friend Melody actually gave me lot knowledge about Spirit Laws I did not know quite well before. We actually figured out a backup plan, that we hope may buy us some time. " man explained. " I won't go too much in detail... But the most encouraging thing in the matter is - Death already abdicated his throne in favor of Solstice. He is no longer the ruler. That is a huge advantage to us, because many things he could do as he pleased, now he would have to answer for. There is no law against killing demons, but there is law against killing Spirits, and I do have some Spirit friends on far south that have never had stain on their honor before. I hate to do it, but in case it's needed, they could act as living shield and slow him down to give my demon friends chance to flee. By what we know of Death, best of little hope we may have, will be from his own fanaticism about importance of laws. He would kill demon, but he won't dare raise hand to kill Spirit in his way, Melody deems. That's pretty much our only chance in the long run, until he becomes a child. " Sage smiled faintly. " Even more so, since Death is now civilian - he would have to answer for every single damage to Spirit he makes under court of Spirit Law. If he wants to punish Spirits for standing in his path, he won't be able to do anything in person anymore, without prosecuting them in court of Spirit Law... It's risky, as everything, but Death not braking his law as drastically as trying to hurt and kill fellow Spirit, that is our last straw of hope, I fear. By common definition, it seems I am outside of borders of Spirit Laws too, thankfully, so his laws can't prosecute me, either, so in worst case, I could buy my friends some time by fighting him and take a risk to see if he'd actually kill a human or not. "

[Mirach]

"I really hope it will not come to that, and that we can prevent him from finding out. And if not that, then from coming here at least...' Svarik said. "Right now he would not go away from Bell. And when Bell is better, he might be willing to help us ans hold him back too..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Melody said Death is quite ill too, feverish and in pain every day. Not that it's nice to be eased with someone's suffering, but together with Death's own illness and weak state to give us better chances, we will lay our hopes in your friend Bell too, then. I will do preparations of my own in meantime as well, of course - I will not not be ready for an offensive that may out all I hold dear on trial. " Sage said solemnly, but then, he smiled. " Enough of that talk now, though  - what will happen, will happen. We will deal with it in its time. Right now, though, I desire us to have this little fun that we can. I will wait for you downstairs, with meal that'll suit you, in garden. I'll prepare everything, and prepare my friend, and you two can come down in the garden to join us when you're ready, my kind guests. Now that there's no danger yet, let us celebrate our differences and enjoy each other's company. "

[Mirach]

"Alright," Svarik nodded. "But since Melody told you, I have to ask you to not tell anyone else about Death's illness. I know you are not fond of him, but spreading the rumours migt be also dangerous to him, and he is our guest..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I thought lot about it. I judged it would be in bad manners and bad spirit.. " he smiled at the pun. " For me to take advantage of that. I just want to protect my own, not to bring suffering to others, and it seems to me he has plenty enough suffering on his own. I would never seek, less start an active quest, to bring harm to someone who was injured in same manner as my Sea Deity. His healing... Let him have that. I can only hope focusing on healing himself will leave him little time to focus his eyes on us. " he whispered, but then, he paused, and added slowly. " You realize, of course, though, hm... That keeping a secret, while sacred, does not include keeping secrets from your best friends. I plan to discuss all I've learned with two of them, Spirit and Demon one, but not to spread it further than that. "

[Mirach]

"That's just how it does spread," Svarik sighed. "But if I can't convince you otherwise, I guess I'll have to accept that..."

[VisAnastasis]

" How would you feel, not to be able to share what concerns you with Falcon? Specially something lack of knowledge of would endanger Falcon's existence?  " man asked patiently and gently, despite Svarik's statement seemed to sting him. " I must admit I don't quite appreciate how unphased you are at thought our lives are at stake, little one. It would be absurd from you to expect from me anything less. I am unwise, even, with being this lenient - any wiser person would take an advantage of Death's grave illness for revenge. But I did not seek revenge even at you in name of your grandgrandfathr that had tortured and killed me - and I shan't seek it from someone who, yes, had caused many of my friends great suffering, but did hold the world together at Long night and prevented it from falling apart and all of us dying in dark abyss of broken reality. That service to world as a whole creates good reason for certain lenience on my part, in my eyes. However, I must say I expect a little more grace from you than, *oh, well, I guess I'll have to accept that... * I can never even begin to hope to stay alive, unless me and my friends work together so all of us can have better chances, little one, and we can't work together well unless we are all honest and make our plans together. "

[Mirach]

"I understand. But I now actually have secrets I must protect even from Falcon, and I know it won't be easy and might even earn his mistrust, so forgive me if I am a bit touchy about the subject of secrets. I'm not used to having them, it's so much easier to just be open..."

[VisAnastasis]

" I imagine it is... Don't get me wrong... Sometimes, it's wiser to have some. I am a man in position that requires me to have certain things done.. beyond official level. " he vaguely alluded to his connections with the underground. " But this is something else. This is something that could destroy my whole world. I accepted that risk in desire to help Falcon's dearest friend and Semai find path to his healing, and I apologize, but I ain's going to keep secrets like a petulant child when such big stakes are in question, little Nightingale. "

[Mirach]

"I see that your situation is different, but I would send you a word with all you need to know, if Falcon wouldn't do it sooner, when there would be an actual danger to you and your friends. I hope we can prevent it from happening from our side, though. I don't want to endanger anyone, neither Death nor your friends."