Svarik and the company I :)

[Mirach]

Svarik smiled with that and listen for a while before approacing closer.

[VisAnastasis]

It was Xia that first acknowledged him - Llyr too polite to interrupt the song, and Tide too immersed in his gentle song to notice something like that.
It was Xia, that first reacted on him mere moments later - she was calm, but no matter how calm, her worry for Svarik and thinking of him could never quite be sated.. Lllyr was right, that she seemed to have been designed to be Svarik's Familiar. When she noticed him standing, she squeeled with glee, her expression turning into one of utmost joy. She rolled around across the fluffy pillow, and she ran toward him... and ran into him, with all the strength imaginable for an overly excited playful demon.

[Mirach]

It knocked Svarik from his feet, and he fell backwards, but managed to soften the fall by catching Xia around the neck. Laughing he pulled her with him on the floor and rolled with her.

[VisAnastasis]

Xia was overly excited indeed, with both seeing him again and feeling he is feeling better from within. She rolled with him on the floor, purring so loudly that for any other cat it would be considered unnatural, and she wagged her tail excitedly, licking his face in greeting and leaving drool all over it, not seeming to notice it much in her joy, though.

[Mirach]

Svarik knew how she missed him and worried for him, and wanted to make it up for her by playing with her and caressing her in her joy.

[VisAnastasis]

It took a while, but it seemed to be doing good for the critter, to not suppress her feelings, but show them and let them flow - and with time, she grew calmer, and her aura grew brighter, refreshed under relief she felt.
She slowly stopped licking him, and just continued to gently nestle with him, now that she calmed, just enjoying to be close to him, and wanting to thank him for coming.

[Mirach]

"That's right, no more waiting. Good girl... And thank you for entertaining her," he nodded towards Tide ans Llyr. "Very nice forms, by the way..."

[VisAnastasis]

" It was great fun, really. I have about, hundred better things to do in city, but I definitely did not have anything even closely as fun to do. " Llyr replied playfully, not by lips, but through thoughts he sent to Svarik, and he rolled around in his form across the pillow innocently, as if showing off. Tide just nodded a little, shyly concealing one of his front paws aside, as if hoping meadow king wouldn't see it or remember it.

[Mirach]

Svarik did not mention it as he saw that Tide is trying to conceal it. "So what heve you been learning?" he asked Xia.

[VisAnastasis]

She apparently learned the word *learn*, as she nodded fervently and enthusiastically. She turned into a form of a fox child, freely made herself comfortable in Svarik's lap, and then she started to make lot of little signs. Some were more complex and some Svarik knew, like various names of the objects and different foods and drinks, as they must have first brought something to feed her and were teaching words of food she liked to her. Some words were more complex as she went on, as she seemed to learned to name various cities along the city coast, presumably from local map that was on the floor aside, and names of various interesting sea creatures, from the illustrative book that was on the floor as well.

She also learned lot of new verbs, besides * learning*, and she saved them for the last, most proud of them - walking, running, playing, picnicking, talking, interrupting, paying attention, doing obligations, napping, cooking, smiling, laughing... Getting burned, hurting, yelping, bandaging, tending, exchanging bandages, using balm, choosing medicines... Tide got a little uncomfortable as Xia went on with last words, growing more timid, as if feeling a little exposed with her innocent desire to share all she had learned.

[Mirach]

"Very good," Svarik praised Xia. "I hope you get better soon, Tide, and maybe next time consider taking a cloth that doesn't need to be torn from your clothes?" he said then gently, as he couldn't pretend any longer that he didn't see his paw after Xia's list, but he didn't dwell on it seeing that Tide feels unconfortable with it, so he just acknowledged it so they might put the topic behind and move on without it hanging in the air.

[VisAnastasis]

" It makes no difference. It would burn a demon through any cloth. It is a horn of a unicorn. " Lllyr explained idly and matter of factly, as if it was some universal truth.
" Y-yes. " Tide steadied his voice, seeming more comfortable to explain some universal issue, rather than burden anyone with his injury. " It would burn, and it would only stick unpleasantly on your hand through the cloth, and be hard to remove, prolonging hurt and later healing. If you are a higher demon, holding things barehanded is best - at least you can peel them of from your flesh more easily when you want. Adding layer of some cloth not of your origin would just complicate things and make it harder to remove. Even through bag, it would burn. Its magic seeps through any contact searching for our essences. "
" Yeah, why do you think your demon friends are so happy when you hold the bag with it? " Lllyr asked. " They are higher ones, so they can control their forms so much so that in first minute or two it would just be uncomfortable and have burning sensation... Even if you see no injury, it's still hurting for them to be too close, like hold the bag of it for you. Nobody, per se, likes to be burned. Be careful not to touch any lower demon with it, though - mere pain of such thing could make one pass out quite easily. "
" Yes. " Tide agreed sadly. " It is not a toy. It is a very serious weapon. If it was a sword, not a flute, I don't know how disappointed and angry I would be, for seeing you carry such dangerous object with you, that has such intolerance to demons engraved into it... such malice... But I couldn't quite get properly angry at seeing the horn's turned into a healing flute. "

[Mirach]

"And Erdel, of course, wouldn't tell me..." Svarik murmured. "How am I supposed to learn such things if he doesn't? I usually carry it on my belt, I just put it in the bag when the Sage told me to leave it behind. But if cloth doesn't work, what do you suggest as a safest way to carry it, so I don't hurt my friends by accident?"

[VisAnastasis]

" Nice to see someone take interest in it. I doubt any Spirit you know would have told you those things, as for them, it's preferable for demons to burn to crisp. " Lllyr replied a little reproachfully. " But I've got closer into that matter. When you get home, you should mix pure gold with one liter of fresh blood of one Demon, and once they mix up well, before any forging, you should add one liter of blood of one Spirit. Order a good blacksmith to make you a flute case out of it, and you should limit it's influence enough so that your friends are only uncomfortable when holding it, not straight up get set on fire, hehe. "
" I would have gotten some simple golden box at least, if I had any time. " Tide admitted. " But I would lose couple hours on that at least, searching for some already made one of that size, and there was no such time to waste. It was just not worth such elaborate scheme, when I knew I could do just take it and get done with it in couple of minutes. "

[Mirach]

"And... just how much blood can a demon or spirit lose without getting sick or weakened too much? Does it depend on size of the current form?" Svarik asked.

[VisAnastasis]

" On lot of things. Their physical state, emotional state, and current form as well. " Lllyr explained, apparently having lot of knowledge on such things. " It's big thing to ask, for blood of a Being, because it's filled with their essence, and they give you bit of themselves through it, they entrust you with something so much more powerful than hair or nail, that could be used to hurt them if it falls in the wrong hands. But you already have that girl Melody, and you have Erdel and Xia, any of them would do - if you give the girl a week or so, I think she'll be able to pull of a liter of blood better then, if she picks some older bigger form, and Erdel is not only cute, but powerful - it's not easy for any demon to give away blood, but he can pull of a liter, I am sure. "

[Mirach]

"But you said it has to be fresh..." Svarik frowned, not liking the idea of Melody or Erdel losing a liter of blood at once.

[VisAnastasis]

" Yes. Nobody said building up proper protection is without sacrifices. " Lllyr noticed. " It's worth a little uneasiness once, for something that will protect your demon friends for such a big threat, I believe. "

[Mirach]

Svarik sighed. "I will consider it... And since we are already here, could I ask you to translate something to Xia, Tide?"

[VisAnastasis]

" Your wish is my command. " Creature just whispered and nodded solemnly, whichever was probably some archaic form of acceptance.

[Mirach]

"Thank you. I wished to explain her the meaning of food for humans. She sees it as just a pleasant hobby, and doesn't know measure. It's hard to explain to her only in the words she knows that humans need it to live, and can suffer with hunger, and that the food doesn't just come on its own, but needs work to be grown and prepared, and there are some who don't have enough. But I don't want to make her feel guilty about eating in any way, just help her understand that it is a pleasure that is not granted and it's not polite to eat out someone's whole stock..."

[VisAnastasis]

" Oh, gods, was that the reason why she ate through all the cookies in the room while I went to bring us milk downstairs? She doesn't know the measure? I wondered why there were none left... My, that's priceless! I thought it was Tide who cleaned them up this time just to mess with me! " Lllyr chuckled bemusedly.
" We shared them. If you was to climb up faster, we'd leave you some. Besides, stress eating is great and, um, very healthy. " Tide commented little grumpily and shyly. " It's hard thing to explain to someone who doesn't have any concept of starvation, but I'll try... " he said through thoughts, and turned to Xia, and started whistling, leading a conversation with her.

[Mirach]

"She doesn't know starvation, but I think she should understand the oncept of missing something... or someone..." Svarik said, blushing a little.

[VisAnastasis]

" I will try to work of that.. " Tide reassured him gently. He then went on to cautiously and carefully explain the matter to a little critter. It was apparent it was something strain, hardly understanable for her. Despite Tide took his time, in the end, she seemed to get a little that it's not something that should be done, and she was torn, because she started to get that there were ones in actual need of it, like she was in need of being close to Svarik to feel well, but on other hand, food tastes so good and was giving a little more brightness and flavor to her life.
She seemed silent and was howling quietly, as she was also remembering how hungry and starving Cernunnos looked, and how he still gave them best bits of food he had, viewing his gesture not just as wanting to show them kindness, but as a deeper act of caring and warmth as well, giving up something he needed for their sake. When she wanted to share her food with Cernunnos that once, it was because she felt he undervalued himself by barely taking anything at all, and wanted him not to feel left out and unloved... But it was quite different perspective to realize he was actually lacking in nutrition and starved and food was something he needed but gave them anyway, and judging by her look locked on the window where there was greenery, king could recognize she must had been thinking of him, and that it was something that shook her in particular, and was the knowledge she didn't know how to deal with.

[Mirach]

Svarik knelt next to her and caressed her reassuringly, seeing she is not taking it well. He followed her look, trying to guess what she was thinking. "Please tell her that we are going to bring Cernunnos plenty of food on the way back," he asked Tide.